Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Billboard: Still Chasing Rainbows

I have never outgrown the wonder of chasing a rainbow.

On many occasions as a little girl I would sit on a chair in front of the window watching the rain.  I would wait just hoping for one of those rare moments when the conditions would be just right for the colors to appear in the sky.  A perfect moment when the rain and the clouds and the sun would coexist above to create the colorful arc of a beautiful rainbow.

My heart would skip a beat every time I'd see a break in the cloud cover and a glimmer of light filtering through what appeared to be a hole in the sky.

Racing outside I'd stand there searching the vast expanse overhead hoping to catch a glimpse of that rare and special beauty...a rainbow.

The few times I found one, whether it be big or small, faint or bold, it always demanded to be looked at and appreciated.  So there I'd stand, captivated by its beauty and enthralled by the wonder.

Something in my soul would stir because even as a child, I knew that it was more than just the perfect timing of weather related conditions that made the colors appear in the sky.

A treasure like this couldn't just happen.

It had to be orchestrated by something or Someone far greater than mere chance.  In fact, someone once told me that when I saw a rainbow it was actually encircling the whole earth like a wedding band.  She said the rainbow was actually a symbol of God's faithfulness, an assurance that He would not forget His promise.  With those words, something in my soul stirred and I bought that idea hook, line, and sinker.  The thought of God placing the rainbow in the sky made it that much more spectacular to me.

I am older now, but I have never lost my love for rainbows...those arcs of colors in the sky.

However, my appreciation of the rainbow continues to deepen as my relationship with Jesus grows.   Genesis chapter 9 verses 14-16 say,  "...Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between you and all living creatures of every kind....Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember...".

WOW!

When God sees the rainbow, He remembers.

He remembers.  The word, remember, prompted me to search the Bible for times when God remembered.  I discovered a complete treasury of times when God remembered.

In Genesis 8: when God remembered Noah He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.
In Exodus 2: when God remembered His people suffering in Egypt, He brought them out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.
In 1 Samuel 1: when God remembered Hannah she conceived and bore a baby.
In the Gospel: when God remembered the world, He gave His one and only Son.

Scripture testifies to the fact that when God remembers, He also acts.

Yesterday, in the midst of our travels on 'the Adoption Highway', I saw a rainbow.




Undeniable.  Awe inspiring.  Beautiful.  Fascinating.  Confirming.

As I sat on the side of the road looking at it, completely captivated, I knew that God saw it, too.

And He remembered.

He remembered His covenant.

And I believe He remembered me...the one who still, after all these years, chases rainbows.

The one who as a child bought the story of His faithfulness hook, line, and sinker.

In that moment He remembered every prayer, every grumble, every plea, every cry, every praise, and every wish from me that has fallen upon His ears.

Today, I have a confident hope that when He remembers, He also acts.


"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."  Hebrews 6:18














































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